AcademyU18s report: Liverpool beaten by Sunderland in Kirkby
Liverpool U18s were beaten 4-0 by Sunderland at the Kirkby Academy on Saturday afternoon.
The U18 Premier League North leaders left Merseyside with the three points in hand thanks to goals from Henry Fieldson, Mason Cotcher and Ben Middlemas.
Fieldson's header from a corner opened the scoring early on, and Cotcher then netted a pair of close-range goals shortly after half-time.
The Black Cats added to their lead 15 minutes before the end when Middlemas added the finishing touch to a counter-attack.
The visitors started well and put themselves ahead with just four minutes on the clock.
An in-swinging corner from the right was flicked into the back of the net by Fieldson, who just beat Liverpool goalkeeper Luke Hewitson to the ball.
The Reds survived a let-off as Thomas Watson fired fractionally wide, before going up the other end and registering their first shot on target through Ranel Young.
But Hewitson was called into action to keep it 1-0 at the break, the stopper doing brilliantly to push a goalbound effort from Watson over the crossbar.
But as Marc Bridge-Wilkinson's charges looked to return from the break with greater impetus, Sunderland scored twice within the opening 10 minutes of the second half.
Middlemas twisted and turned inside the penalty area before delivering a cross across the face of goal that required the simplest of finishes from Cotcher.
Watson hit the post moments before it was 3-0, with Cotcher tapping in again following more good work in the box from Middlemas.
There was one positive for the Reds, though, as Calum Scanlon returned from injury to make his first appearance of the season when he came on as a 62nd-minute substitute.
However, Sunderland continued to push and they added their fourth through Middlemas' lift over Hewitson to conclude a breakaway.
Young continued to persevere for Liverpool and nearly pulled a goal back, but he was denied by the post late on to cap off a frustrating afternoon.
Liverpool U18s: Hewitson, Davidson, Miles, Samuels, Giblin (Scanlon, 62), Laffey, Pilling, Pennington (Gift, 46), Young (Morrison, 89), Kelly, Danns.
Unused substitutes: Trueman, Pitt.